Event

Wed, December 14, 2016 from 08:00am - 10:00am

Local government policies and urban plans have a direct and strong impact on home-based workers. Because their home is their workplace, home-based workers are more directly affected than other workers by government policies and practices regarding housing (notably, slum upgrading and/or slum eviction-relocation schemes), basic infrastructure services (notably, the availability and cost of electricity but also water and sanitation), and zoning regulations (notably, whether commercial activities are allowed in residential areas). They may also be affected by the accessibility and cost of public transport, especially if they are forced to relocate at great distances from their customers, markets or contractors.

This webinar will highlight:

Why the city governments and urban planners need to integrate home-based workers and their livelihood activities into local economic development plans.

Why the city governments need to extend basic infrastructure to the homes-cum-workplaces of home-based workers and transport services to the settlements where they live and work.

Some promising examples of where and how this can be done.

Dr. Martha (Marty) Chen, Harvard Kennedy School; Harvard Graduate School of Design
Professor Chen is a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and an Affiliated Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She is also the Co-Founder and International Coordinator of WIEGO. A renowned development scholar, Marty has steered WIEGO since its inception, turning the research, policy and action network into one of the world’s leading organizations focused on the informal economy. Her specialization includes employment, gender, and poverty with a focus on the working poor in the informal economy. Marty’s expertise is sought globally by a range of major institutions, from the European Commission and the International Labour Organization to the World Bank and the United Nations.

Moderated by Shalini Sinha, India Country Representative and Home-based Sector Specialist, WIEGO
Shalini’s work focuses on developing and documenting decent work and livelihoods opportunities for women workers in the informal economy, especially women home-based workers in urban locations in India. Shalini specializes in labour, gender and social development issues and has worked with several national and international NGOs and funding agencies.

Bijal Brahmbhatt,Director, Mahila Housing SEWA Trust, Ahmedabad
Bijal is a civil engineer by training and is a recognized expert in habitat improvement, community development and housing finance. She oversees the MHT’s (Mahila Housing SEWA Trusts) operations at the national level and has experience in conceptualizing planning, managing and providing support for slum up gradation programmes across India. Bijal has authored several publication / papers on livelihood and habitat, housing finance and community development.